Tool for removing painted-over wallpaper



July 22, 1958 I J, FERGUSON 2,843,932

TOOL FOR REMOVING PAINTED-OVER WALLPAPER Filed Nov. 6, 1956 IN V EN TOR.

Joseph E/ryuson BY AT TORNE Y United States Patent l TOOL FOR REMOVING PAINTED-OVER WALLPAPER Joseph B. Ferguson, Mission, Kans.

Application November 6, 1956, Serial No. 620,743

4 Claims. (Cl. 30-171) This invention relates to a method of removing paintedover wallpaper, and to a tool for producing striations in the paint to facilitate penetration of the moisture and steam that are used in removing wallpaper from the walls of a room. For example, in recent years rubber base andsimilar paints have become popular for decorating walls. This is because satisfactory decorative effects can be easily attained by the amateur or ordinary home mechanic by simply applying the paint directly over the existing wallpaper. However, when it is desired to repaper, the waterproof character of such paints makes it extremely diflicult or impossible to remove the wallpaper by the customary steaming process, in that the moisture required to dissolve the paste simply will not pass through the paintcoating.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide a method and tool by which the paint on painted-over wallpaper is quickly and easily striated to provide the entrance by which the moisture and steam may penetrate through the paper.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a tool having laterally spaced teeth with chisel-like cutting edges for planing or scraping off relatively narrow strips of the paint, and to provide the tool with teeth that are selfcleaning of the strips of paint and which have cutting edges on the side thereof to cut through relatively loose paint areas to further prevent clogging of the teeth.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a tool having a simple, relatively inexpensive and removable cutting element so that when the cutting edges dull, the cutting element may be removed and replaced with a new cutting element, or the old cutting element may be re moved for resharpening thereof.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention as hereinafter pointed out, I have provided improved structure the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tool constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing the use thereof for striating the paint coating on a previously papered wall.

Fig. 2 is a section through the head portion of the tool and wall to better illustrate the layer of wallpaper, the overlying paint coating, and the action of the tool for producing the striations in the paint.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cutting element of the tool as it appears when removed.

Fig. 4 is a similar perspective view of the opposite face of the cutting element.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged front view of a portion of the cutting element to better illustrate the tooth formation.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the opposite face of the teeth.

Fig. 7 is a cross section through the teeth of the cutting element taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a cross section through the front of the cutting element on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

2,843,932 Patented July 22, 1958 Referring more in detail to the drawing:

1 designates a wall having the surface 2 thereof covered with one or more layers of wallpaper 3 and the outer layer has been subsequently painted with one or more coats of wall paint 4, such as one of the present day rubber base or water resistant paints. As above stated, this method of redecorating the walls of a room by painting over the wallpaper is extensively practiced, because such paints are relatively inexpensive, easily applied, and rapid drying, but after the walls have once been painted is is extremely diflicult and expensive to return to wallpaper, for the reason that the painted-over wallpaper must be removed to create a satisfactory surface on which the new wallpaper is to be applied. Moisture and/or steam applied to the paint covering simply will not penetrate the paint. Therefore, it has been necessary to sand oil? the paint and paper by means of a sanding machine. This makes the removal of the paint excessively dirty work and sanding is expensive. I have found that this difliculty may be overcome by striating the paint coating and then using the customary steamer directly over the striated paint. The striations are preferably of a size to provide sufficient break-through of the steam and/or moisture, and of close enough spacing for the moisture to penetrate laterally under the remaining strips of paint 4 to dissolve the paste and loosen the paper in large sections and without damage to the wall.

The striations 5 are easily formed with the tool 7, also embodying a part of the present invention. The tool 7 includes a head 8 and a handle 9 which may be formed integrally from wood or other suitable material. The head 8 has substantially flat rectangular faces 10 and 11, slightly rounding side edges 12 and 13, and a rounding end edge 14 opposite the handle 9. The handle 9 is shaped to be conveniently held in the hand, and the sides 15 and 16 curve as at 17 and 18 into the sides 12 and 13 of the head 8. The head 8 is provided with a slot 19 that extends inward-1y thereof through the rounded end 14 intermediate the faces 10 and 11, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The slot 19 is of sufficient depth to accommodate the plate portion 20 of a cutting element 21 which also is a part of the tool.

The cutting element 21 is preferably formed of sheet metal, such as a saw steel, or other metal that will hold a cutting edge and can be readily sharpened when necessary. The plate portion 20 is of a width substantially conforming to the width of the head 8, so that the side edges 22 and 23 of the plate portion are flush with the side edges 12 and 13 when the plate portion is inserted in the slot 19. The plate portion has a length so that when the transverse edge 24 seats upon the bottom 25 of the slot 19, the opposite side of the plate portion will project from the rounded end 14 of the head 8, as indicated at 26, Figs. 1 and 2. Extending along the projecting portion 26 and turned laterally therefrom is a series of teeth 27. Each tooth, with the exception of the endmost teeth, has generally the shape of an isosceles triangle with the base portion 28 joining with the plate portion 20 and the equal sides 29 and 30 converging toward a beveled tip 31 cooperating with inner face 32 of the tooth to form a relatively narrow transverse cutting edge 33 to form the width of a striation 5, as later described. The side edges 29 and 30 of the teeth are also beveled as at 34 and 35 on the outer faces 36 of the teeth to provide converging cutting edges 37 and 38 to cut or split the paint, should the paint tend to come off in strips which might be sulficiently Wide to clog the triangular spaces 39 between the teeth. The endmost teeth also have the flat cutting tips 31, but the outer edges thereof terminate in registry with the side edges 29 and 30 of the plate portion 20, as shown. In order to provide clearance at the crotch of the spaces 39, the plate portion is provided with slightly inwardly extending grooves or recesses 40. g

- The plate portion 20 of the cutting element has an aperture 41 for passing a fastening device 42 when the plate portion is inserted in the slot 19. The fastening device 42 includes an internally threaded socket member 43 engaged in a bore 44 of the head 8 and which registers with the aperture 41. The fastening device also includes a screw 45 having a shank 46 adapted to be threaded into the socket member 43 to draw a head 47 thereon and a head 48 on the socket member into contact with the portions 49 and 50 of the head 8 into clamping engagement with the plate portion 20 of the cutting element.

Assuming that the cutting element 21 is in place in the head 8 and securely tightened therein by the fastening device 42, the tool is placed against the painted surface 4 of the wall with the cutting portions 31 of the teeth in contact therewith while a slight pressure is exerted to cause the teeth to penetrate the paint. Then when the tool is moved downwardly along the wall, the cutting edges 31 of the teeth remove strips 51 of the paint, and thereby form the striations 5. After the striations have been formed, the usual steamer may then be applied to the wall so that the steam and/or moisture passes through the striations 5 and penetrates laterally through the wallpaper 3 to cause dissolution of the paste and release of the wallpaper, whereupon the wallpaper may be readily removed in large sections, as when the paper does not bear a coating of paint 4. If the paint 4 tends to strip off in wider strips than the corresponding Width of the cutting portions 31, the converging cutting edges 37 and 38 at the sides of the teeth will cut through the paint and thereby avoid possibility of clogging the spaces 39 between the teeth.

In case the teeth should happen to break through loose areas of the wallpaper, the paper will likewise be severed by the diverging cutting edges of the teeth.

When the teeth become worn, the cutting element 21 may be readily removed for resharpening by means of a saw file, or, if desired, the dull blade may be discarded and a new blade substituted therefor.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a method for removing paint covered wallpaper from a wall by cutting striations in the paint of suificient width to permit entrance of the steam and moisture for penetration as required to dissolve the paste and permit ready removal of the wallpaper.

It is also obvious that I have provided a simple and inexpensive tool by which the striations may be produced in the paint coating without gouging into or otherwise injuring the wall to which the paper has been applied.

- While I have specifically referred to the removal of paint covered wallpaper, it is obvious that the invention is well adapted for removal of wallpaper having various 4 moistureproof coatings wherein it is difiicult to effect penetration of moisture through moistureproofed surfaces.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tool for use in preparing for removal of paint covered wallpaper from a wall, said tool including a holder having a clamping head, a cutting element having a plate portion adapted -'to be clamped in said head, and a series of teeth .projecting along one edge of the plate portion and laterally therefrom, said teeth being in the general shape of isosceles triangles and having bases thereof joining'with the plate portion and the'equal sides terminating in tips providing spaced apart cutting edges for forming striations in the paint cover when the-cutting element of said tool is drawn over the wallpaper.

2. A tool for use in preparing for removal of paint covered wallpaper from a wall by the application of steam, said too] including a cutting element having a plate'portion and a series of laterally projecting teeth in the general shape of isosceles triangles with bases thereof joining with the plate portion and the tips opposite the bases being beveled to provide spaced apart cutting edges for forming striations in the paintcover when the cutting element of said tool is drawn over :the

wallpaper.

3. A tool for preparing paint covered wallpaper for removal from a 'wall, said tool including a cutting element having a plate portion and a series of laterally projecting teeth in the general shape of isosceles triangles with bases thereof joining with the plate portion and the equal sides terminatingi n-beveled tips to provide cutting'edges on said teeth for forming striations in the paint when the cutting element of said tool is drawn over the wallpaper, and said cutting element having clearance spaces at ends of the bases of the teeth. I

4. A'tool for preparing paint covered wallpaper for removal from'a wall, said tool including a cutting elementhaving a plate portion and a series of laterally projecting teeth in the general shape of isosceles triangles with bases thereof joining with the plate portion and-the equal sides terminating in beveled tips toprovidecutting edges on said teeth for forming striations in the paint when the cutting element of said tool is drawn over the wallpaper, and said sides of the teeth also being beveled to provide cutting edges thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 715,107

'Fryer et 'al. Oct. 1, 1957 

